


the fundamentals of fairness

by vgaeu



Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: F/F, based on dexter, just detectives and murderers n good fun, let haseul b a villain.. let her do it!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-01
Updated: 2019-11-01
Packaged: 2021-01-17 11:22:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21266606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vgaeu/pseuds/vgaeu
Summary: after finding the justice system to not be very just at all, haseul takes matters into her own hands only to be reassigned to a new partner that seems a bit suspicious of what she's up to
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	the fundamentals of fairness

**Author's Note:**

> the fundamentals of fairness  
1\. Haseul can only kill someone after finding proper evidence that they are, in fact, guilty of murder.  
2\. She cannot get caught.

Haseul was sure he knew nothing of fairness, a man of power and money, the life he was living one countless others would yearn for. The crimes he had committed, the bodies he had dropped, easily forgotten by the cash that rained from his wallet and into greedy hands. 

A man born and bred in pure comfort, he had never known need until his bulging eyes met her sharp ones in the rearview mirror, focused and unwavering, watching as his fingers grasped desperately at the cable she had drawn taut around his neck. 

After what felt like an eternity, he fell limp and she released him, letting him fall with a thump against the steering wheel before climbing out of the car to meet him. 

They became closely acquainted as he lie beneath the fluorescent light of her cabin, her tediously working until the man who had once stood tall, radiating nothing but fearful power now lie discarded in pieces along the tarp that blanketed the wooden floor. 

And it was hours before she had finished her work and ascended to the deck, the spray of the sea now misting her face and the hum of the motor filling the silent air. She dropped another rock into the last of the bags, tying it tightly and lugging it to the side of the ship before swinging it overboard without a second thought. 

And when it was finally swallowed by the darkness of the sea, Haseul headed home, nothing remaining of the night but the ziplocked ear in her right coat pocket.

* * *

Haseul woke to a whack on the back of her head and groaned as she pulled herself upright, rubbing her eyes as she slowly registered her partner who frowned before pushing aside the clutter on her desk, making space for herself to sit down.

“Read.” Was all she demanded as she waved the rolled newspaper in front of her and Haseul took it from her hands, rolling her eyes as she straightened it out to read the headlines. Swinging one leg over the other, Vivi leaned forward, brushing her dark hair from her face before pointing to the headline. “He just completely disappeared. His house, his things, everything’s still there but him.”

Feeling her partner’s ever nearing presence, Haseul let out a steady exhale, quirking a brow as she feigned ignorance of the news she’d known too well. She pursed her lips and handed the pages to her before leaning back in her chair.

“Wow, this is… shocking. You think he ran away or something?” 

“But why would he do that?” 

Haseul hummed thoughtfully before responding.

“Maybe he just didn’t want all this attached to him everywhere he went? I mean the image of you being a murderer isn’t an easy one to shake.” 

She knew her well enough to realize this wasn’t a good enough answer, watching as Vivi’s brows only furrowed in further incredulity.

“But it really shouldn’t matter if he was found innocent, right?”

Calm and well rehearsed, Haseul paused for a second before opening her mouth but the moment was taken by a sudden ring on the desk adjacent to hers. Vivi sighed, leaning backwards before taking the phone into her hand to press it against her ear and after a few 'mhm's and 'okay's, the woman was hopping off of her desk and straightening her white blouse.

She glanced at the analog clock on the wall, the thin arrow mere minutes from the hour they had long awaited for.

"Ah, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?" Vivi smiled and Haseul nodded, watching her head up the stairs. 

She waited until the office door shut behind her before she pulled the coat off of her chair and around her body, standing up to finally escape the chaos and noise of the precinct that had just begun to envelope her. But upon shoving her hands into her pockets, she let out a quiet gasp and immediately scanned the room, all too grateful that no one else had noticed her surprise.

Silence allowed for introspection and post the click of the switch and the buzz of the light, that was all there was once she entered her bedroom. 

Silence. 

Dropping her coat on her desk, she padded quietly across the linoleum towards her closet, tugging on her her tie and nimbly unbuttoning her dress shirt. 

The chill November air bit at her bare skin for a few moments before she tugged an old college sweater over her head and sat onto the bed, stretching her leg forward to turn the heater dial with her toes. 

As heat began to emanate from the orange light, Haseul let the back of her head hit the sheets, closing her eyes and exhaling heavily upon the contact.

She'd made a mistake. 

If she was anything, Haseul was meticulous, her sloppy desk and clumsy misfortunes a calculated deception to the person she truly was. 

She'd study her victims, stick to a consistent plan to capture and dispose of them, and bar the little souvenir she'd kept of each one, preserved and labelled so carefully beneath a floorboard in her bedroom, there was no way anyone would have suspected her of anything. 

But she'd made a mistake, the rotting ear she had to quickly dispose of a glaring testament to that.

She couldn't let that happen again. 

She couldn't afford to make anymore mistakes. 

For the slightest of moments, she let herself fall, let herself see the glow beneath the crack of the door once more and hear the desperate calls for her name from that voice that now only existed in the old videos and ten second voicemails that she’d listen to over and over and over again. 

But they were never enough to satiate her, a mere taste of air in the ocean she’d found herself drowning in, her hands grasping for something, anything, as she sank deeper into the abyss.

_ Where are you? _

Eyes flying open, she gasped, and pushed herself up, forcing herself back into her bedroom as she struggled to regain her composure.

And when the world was still once more and her head in her own control, Haseul buried herself beneath her sheets, deciding to never allow her mind the luxury of freedom again.

If she wanted to continue what she was doing, she could not let herself get caught.

* * *

Having worked closely with her for years, Vivi was akin to a childhood neighbor, Haseul finding solace in the well established nature of their relationship. Comfortable and certain, she always knew what to expect from the other woman, recognized the silence between her words and the hesitance in her movements.

And though she was loved or, at worst, respected by everyone, there was no one she valued more than Vivi. 

"I like being around you." She'd confess in a moment of calculated vulnerability and Vivi would laugh in response, hooking an arm around hers.

"I'd sure hope so. We're best friends, aren't we?"

The genuinity in her nonchalance made guilt hang like an anchor in her heart. 

"Oh, trust me. I know."

Because above all else, Haseul loved her for her predictability. It made it easy for her to get away with things. 

"I trust you." 

It was unfortunate that the intimacy she sought was a luxury Haseul simply couldn’t afford. 

After tucking their badges back into their coats, the two were ushered under yellow tape and into the house, leaving the flashing lights and raucous crowd far behind. As usual, Vivi took the lead, Haseul ambling along behind her as she took in the scene, noting the bright yellow paint and the blurry polaroids of beaming faces and handheld sparklers. The place radiated pure joy. 

The glaring juxtaposition of the body on the floor made it seem foreign in its own home.

Vivi had already being debriefed and post the crime scene investigator's exit, she pulled on a pair of gloves before squatting down to carefully study the woman's carved cheek. Knowing fully well that her partner would preoccupy herself for a while inspecting the scene of the crime itself, Haseul took the opportunity to sneak upstairs.

It was much more plain there, the walls empty and the air cold, it was almost as if she were in a different house. She hit a switch only to be greeted by an eerie, flickering yellow and Haseul shuddered, shutting it off and opting to use her flashlight instead. Seeing nothing of interest, she proceeded towards the ajar door down the hall before nudging it open with her foot.

It was utterly barren. The bed in the center of the room was stripped of its sheets and everything seemed to hastily thrown into the moving boxes that lined the wall or shoved into the duffel bag on the desk. 

“It looks like she never made it out.” 

Haseul whipped her head around to the sound of the voice to see Vivi making her way into the room, her eyes already surveying the area. Always one of action, she immediately stepped to the desk, pulling open drawers and poking around in moving boxes as Haseul quickly recovered from the shock of her sudden intrusion.

“You were quick today.” 

“There was nothing new to see. Same MO so it’s definitely the same guy as before.” She answered absentmindedly and Haseul hummed in response before joining her to see if there was a slim chance that the investigators missed anything.

Flipping through old albums and coffee stained notebooks, Haseul tried to stay focused, listening to Vivi’s low humming as she tried to find something, anything, to confirm that they were moving in the right direction. It was starting to feel hopeless considering their prime suspect had barely enough evidence tying him to the victims they’d found.

She shut the box with a sigh, moving on to the next when the sudden absence of noise brought her attention to her partner who had become still, examining something in a box. But before Haseul could say a word, she was interrupted by a triumphant yelp. 

She had to force back her overbearing grin as Vivi proudly held up the frame, the man they'd been chasing for weeks pictured with his arms around the three they'd found dead.

"We finally got him." 

The next two weeks were spent preparing, pouring endless cups of coffee and poring tirelessly over evidence and soon they were watching a lawyer present it all in court, Vivi glaring at the man behind the table. 

Days passed, then restless nights and soon it was over just as quickly as it had started. 

He was found innocent. 

Haseul knew to expect her fuming partner, her frustrations never fading despite the amount of cases they'd been through. The justice system was far from just. They should've known it better than anyone being pawns of it. 

The car ride back to the station was long, Vivi simmering in an angry silence and Haseul hit every red light, their luck never seeming to ease up on them. When they arrived, the precinct a quiet buzz with the few night officers, Haseul tried to take the box of documents and evidence from her hands, the other woman watching her quizzically for a moment before holding onto it tighter.

“Let me take care of that, don’t worry.”

Wearily, she shook her head.    
“No, I’ll come with you to put them away.” 

Haseul refused, smiling warmly, and she slipped her hands down so they were just above Vivi’s, letting her pinky brush over her knuckles. Feeling her grip relax slightly, she insisted once more.

“I can handle it. Just go home and get some sleep.” 

And that was all it took. Vivi released the box into her hands with a ‘thank you’ before leaning forward to lay a peck on her cheek. The sudden affection an all too obvious product of her exhaustion, Haseul only chuckled before watching her leave before making her own way down the stairs to the evidence storeroom. 

Moving off to the side of the room where the sole camera could not see her, Haseul dropped the box onto the table, quickly picking out the papers she’d discreetly folded the corners of. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, snapping photos and flipping pages until she had everything she needed and stored it back into the box. And then as if she’d merely gone in the wrong direction, Haseul slowly backed up into frame again, acting as if she’d just found the correct shelf. 

Standing up on her tiptoes, she pushed the box into place before leaving the precinct for the night, humming with the dreams of a hot shower and a proper microwaved dinner in mind.

Two weeks later, the man was never heard from again.

* * *

Routine was nice. 

When she went to put her lunch away in the fridge, she was always allowed an opportunity to catch up with the new intern, Heejin, who'd eagerly tell her about her classes or Jinsoul, who offer her her Soul Special on the promise of seeing god. (She was sure her advertisement wasn't too far fetched after having seen her crush adderall and cut it with coffee grounds before pouring it onto the paper filter.) A bottle of water in one hand, she'd head to her desk, dropping her jacket over her chair and sending a salute through the chief's window upstairs if she were looking. And despite her irreparable habit of tardiness, Seulgi would only point to her watch before wagging her finger in feigned disappointment. (She viewed Haseul as an asset to the team, her sloppy tendencies entirely dismissable due to her efficiency with her work and her loveable character.) And an hour later Vivi would take the seat across from her, armed with an iced coffee and a funny story and then once they were assigned a new case they would start working.

Walking into the precinct that day, she didn't expect to be immediately called to the chief's office. 

Jinsoul was already sitting on one of the seats, looking a little disheveled and squinty, with an elbow on the armrest and her cheek in her palm.

"What's going on?" Haseul asked only to be gestured to sit by her chief and she took the one beside the sleepy woman, watching as she began to nod off a bit. Seulgi pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose before she started speaking.

"There's a case that that they've been working on for a month now in the precinct up north and they've requested our help. Considering you two are some of our best, I wanted to see if you were interested." 

Though the two precincts did work closely together, seldom did they need more than someone new to help find information or reevaluate evidence. Jinsoul’s presence was far from an anomaly. But by requesting a detective, it seemed as though this case was a big one. Haseul pursed her lips in thought, a question lingering in her head. 

"What about Vivi?" 

Seulgi gave a small smile. 

"I have her working on a different case right now so she won't be able to help out with this one." 

Since they'd been trained years ago, the two had been inseparable, solving every single case with one another.

This was an unpleasant change. 

"Haseul?" Her attention returned to the woman before her, seeing her face loud with anticipation for her answer. "Jinsoul agreed. Just let me know about you so I can find someone else." 

Seeing no reason to say no, she obliged.

"I'll do it." 

Their chief's grin erupted into a full beam but before she could say anything else, a knock on the door stopped her. 

When she called for them to come in, Jinsoul pulled herself up, her drowsiness slipping away, and Haseul's eyes widened in shock upon recognizing her.

Ha Sooyoung, detective prodigy of the northern precinct. She had trouble keeping a partner, thriving when she worked alone, and her cases were always finished cleanly and quickly, the woman having sharp eyes for details. Haseul just couldn't figure out why she would need them.

Sooyoung came strutting in, donning a white turtleneck tucked into a pair of crisply pressed slacks and a long black coat, a manila folder in hand. Haseul just watched her as she greeted everyone before making direct eye contact with her for just a moment, a familiar expression flickering across her face so quickly Haseul wasn't sure if she'd seen it correctly.

“I’m Haseul.” She said, extending a hand and the other woman took it, studying her carefully. 

“Sooyoung.” 

“I know. I’ve heard of you.” Sooyoung just raised a brow before taking the seat beside her and opening her folder on the table in front of them. 

"Let's just get started, shall we?"

It was a family matter, a father's death that was ruled a suicide until Sooyoung prodded a little deeper and found some details that were overlooked, information that just didn't seem to add up. And though she had long researched and studied her suspects, they were clean, Sooyoung growing frustrated at how difficult it was for her to find anything about them let alone anything incriminating. Seeing as it was a wash, her fellow colleagues either urged her to let the case go or just stayed away, the help she so needed nonexistent back at her home base. 

"My boss said I have one more month to solve this or we're closing the case." She stated bitterly after the debriefing. "You guys are my last resort." 

By the next day, post proper introductions to the rest of the precinct and a more detailed study of the case, Sooyoung settled into an empty desk a few feet away from Haseul’s. And though the three had originally intended to work in the conference room, another team had beat them to it, making them move to the patio, the cold wind ruffling their hair and notes. Once they found it wasn’t worth it to be rubbing their arms and slapping notes back onto the table, they ran back inside, Jinsoul growing a bit annoyed that she had to continuously open and close her laptop to follow the other two around.

“Fine, let’s just go back to my office.” Jinsoul finally sighed and Sooyoung frowned, crossing her arms as they reentered the building.

“Why didn’t we go there to begin with?”

That was how the three finally found themselves crammed into the broom closet that Jinsoul had made her workspace, Sooyoung hunched over, leaning on the metal filing cabinet by her desk while Haseul stood in what little space remained between her chair and the wall as Jinsoul tapped away frenetically on her computer. Her Soul Special now sitting before her, she was more than alert, the girl moving quickly through pages and pages as Sooyoung watched in awe, a little skeptical at the legality of her work. 

Schedules and addresses and bank statements ran through the screen, everything that she had needed but could not get a warrant for now just easily before her to take.

“This seems like a very sophisticated program.” She commented and Jinsoul looked down shyly just let out a giggle, the whirring of the print above the filing cabinet signaling she was finished.

“Oh, I know. I made it!”

Skimming through the pages in her hand, Sooyoung waved for Haseul to follow her before leaving the building briskly, the smaller woman barely having enough time to pull her jacket off her seat and grab her bag on the way out. 

“Where are we going?” 

“Where’s your car?” Was all she was asked and Haseul led the way, Sooyoung hopping into the passenger seat and pulling her seatbelt on before holding a paper in front of her and pointing out an address.

“We’re going to meet our suspects.”

It was dark when they arrived, the house being much further than Haseul had anticipated and Haseul couldn’t help but to laugh as they pulled onto the property, finding the towering animal-shaped shrubs and the massive fountain afront the house a bit comical. Subtlety was a trait not too many rich people possessed. 

She slowed the car to a steady stop, turning off the ignition and plunging them into silence, before growing curious as to why they weren’t rushing out considering the hastiness the other woman had insisted on when she’d first found what she wanted.

“What’s wrong?” 

“I have a confession to make.” She eventually said and Haseul quirked her head quizzically, waiting for her to continue. “I’ve heard of you before too.”

“What?” 

Not expecting to hear this, she turned her full attention to the other woman, watching as she rolled her eyes before finally pushing her car door open. 

“Based on what you said yesterday-” She paused, noticing the strange look on Haseul’s face before waving away her words and starting again. “Whatever, don’t act surprised. I’ve seen you in the news just as often as you’ve probably seen me. I know you’re good at your job and you’re good with people.” 

They stepped out of the car, the heels of Sooyoung’s boots hitting the cobblestone walk with a clack, and the pair began making their way up to the house. 

“Thanks, but why are you saying this?” 

“I’m just glad they chose you to help me out.” Sooyoung hummed, looking around the door until she finally found the bell and pressed it, listening to the sound reverberating throughout the home. 

“And why is that?” 

A small smile appeared on her face before she spoke again. 

“I’m a little terrible at talking to people.” 

Despite the obviously rich nature of the family, Haseul was still ill prepared as she looked into the home, in utter shock at the marble flooring and the cascading staircase. 

The little blonde woman who opened the door just stared at them and Sooyoung looked to Haseul, waiting for her to speak. 

“Um, hi. I’m Detective Haseul and this is Detective Sooyoung. Are the owners of the house in?” 

She blinked before letting them come in, leading them silently through the halls, the two detectives exchanging confused looks behind her back until she opened a set of double doors, gesturing for them to enter the room.

“She’ll be with you in just a moment.” And the doors closed with a loud thump behind them.

It appeared to be a study, the walls lined with books and a large wooden desk sat in the corner, adjacent to a set of couches that surrounded a fireplace. And above the fireplace hung a large family portrait. The now deceased man was pictured sitting on a red couch with his two children standing behind him, his daughter’s hand resting on his shoulder and his son’s on the top of the chair. Despite their father’s stoic look, his face frozen in a frown, the two appeared to beaming, their bright smiles felt through the photo. 

Kim Myungjun and Kim Jiwoo. 

Their prime suspects. 

Too focused, the two didn’t hear the door open, Haseul only spinning around when she suddenly felt a presence behind her.

“Hi, can I help you guys?”

Kim Jiwoo was a character, giddily grabbing the two by the arms to force them to sit before offering them something to drink and launching into her complaints about the maid who soon arrived with their teas. She spoke as if she’d known them for years, as if they were mere friends coming to hang out and Haseul would’ve been convinced of that if she hadn’t abruptly paused.

“Wait, I’m so sorry. What’s your name?” She asked, laughing, and Haseul gave a small chuckle in response before introducing herself again. 

“I’m Detective Haseul and this is…” Haseul gestured to Sooyoung, surprised by the new annoyed look on her face. 

“Detective Sooyoung.” 

Jiwoo’s eyes lit up upon recognizing the name and she brought her lips to a pout before picking up her cup. 

“Oh, Detective, I’m sorry I haven’t called you back. It just kept slipping my mind.” Haseul peeked over to her partner, noticing the way her hands kept clenching around her knees under the table. 

“I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for weeks… But I guess that’s fine. We’re talking now, aren’t we?” 

“That we are!” She took a sip before placing her empty cup back on the table, a confused look soon consuming her face. “Wait, how did you find out where we live?” 

Haseul quickly interjected, smiling warmly as she poured Jiwoo some more tea before filling her own cup. 

“It came up when we looked up your name. It’s kind of crazy the things you can find on the internet.” She lied easily and Jiwoo accepted it with a pensive nod before accepting the cup Haseul offered to her.

“Well, since you’ve been trying to reach me for a while now.” Jiwoo started, looking at Sooyoung. “What did you want to know?” 

Haseul quickly learned what Sooyoung meant by having a hard time dealing with people. She was blunt, cutthroat, and demanding, not giving the other woman much time to react before bombarding her with something else. And though it was a good technique for some, other suspects having quickly cracked under her mere gaze before, Jiwoo only seemed to retreat further into a shell Haseul didn’t think even existed, the growing hesitance in her speech slowly overcoming the cheery disposition she was now struggling to keep. 

And soon enough was enough and with a forced smile, she stood up, showing them the way out. 

Haseul snuck her keys into Sooyoung’s hand, as they neared the door, the woman looking on in confusion until Haseul mouthed a ‘go wait in the car’ and her face softened before she nodded in agreement. 

“Jiwoo?” Haseul called and she perked her head up, turning around to face her. “Can you actually show me the way to your bathroom?” 

Having worked in her field for some time, Haseul found the bedroom and the bathroom the most revealing places of a person’s home, each room really showcasing a person’s personality and giving her a peek into what went on in their heads. 

A peek was an understatement here. 

Jiwoo’s bathroom was far from clean, things littered across the sink and sticky notes plastered all over her mirror. Haseul had to navigate through the clothes strewn on the floor to take a closer look at the words she had messily scrawled across the little papers. And though they mostly consisted of grocery lists and little motivational quotes, there was a reminder that jumped out at Haseul, prompting her to just take a picture of everything before reaching over to flush the toilet and turning on the sink in case anyone was listening outside.

‘Meeting w/ MJ!!! Nov. 16 @5pm!’

_ Who was MJ? _

She pocketed her phone before putting on a smile and opening the door. 

As she’d suspected, Jiwoo was waiting for her, looking a little tired as she led her out again and Haseul cleared her throat, reaching forward to gently touch her arm. Having long ago concluded that the woman enjoyed physical contact, she figured she made the right move seeing as Jiwoo relaxed a bit. 

“Hey, I just wanted to say I’m sorry about your loss. I didn’t really get the chance to back there.” Haseul waited for a response and a hum was signal enough for her to continue. “And I’m sorry about Sooyoung… I know she could be a bit intense.”

“Intense is one way to put it.” Jiwoo laughed airily. “You’re sweet but it’s not your fault so you don’t have to apologize.” 

Haseul nodded, moving next to her as she opened the front door. 

“Well, thank you for having us.” She said, lingering in the doorway. “It was nice to meet you.” 

“It was nice to meet you too, Haseul. I’m sure we’ll see each other again real soon.”

* * *

Having been so vigilant, so meticulous, in the weeks that followed her last slip up, she wanted to scream the moment the door shut behind her, suddenly remembering Sooyoung was alone in her car. Rarely ever being the designated driver, she didn’t think to hide away her things too carefully. But she’d left one of the city’s top detectives in there to hang out. 

Another mistake, another blunder. 

Haseul tried to keep calm as she walked down the steps to her car, her anxieties only peaking when she saw Sooyoung sifting through her glove compartment. Pretending not to notice, when the woman shoved everything back in and shut it, she opened her door and hopped in, pulling her seatbelt on before starting her car. 

Sooyoung remained silent, waiting until they’d crossed several lights before she finally spoke.

“Why do you have a boat?” 

Haseul nearly slammed on the brakes. 

“What?” 

Sooyoung picked up the keys in her cup holder, Haseul cursing at herself for her having left them there so precariously.

“These are cabin keys. My dad used to have similar ones when he’d take us out on his boat.” She turned to look at Haseul. “I just thought it was interesting considering you’re aquaphobic.”

Haseul stiffened, her hands clenched slightly around the wheel but Sooyoung paid no heed, only continuing.

“I mean I read about your case a few years ago. I’m sorry that happened.”

For once, Haseul was at a genuine loss, her head devoid of a script she’d usually have planned out long before. Sooyoung studied her for a moment before sighing.

“Was that not okay to bring up? Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” She finally managed to utter and seeing the keys still in her hands, Haseul dug through her muddled mind for a quick excuse. “Those are my friend’s. I dropped him off at the docks the other day, so he probably just forgot them here.” 

Sooyoung just pursed her lips before dropping them back into the cup holder. 

“Alright, anyway, did you find anything interesting?”

Too grateful for the change in subject, she quickly obliged and passed Sooyoung her phone, directing her to the photos she’d taken of Jiwoo’s bathroom. She swiped through them, taking in the new information before commending Haseul for her work and following a run through of their plan for the next day, the rest of the ride was spent in relative silence, Haseul keeping her eyes on the road and Sooyoung musing as she stared out her window. 

“My car’s right there.” Sooyoung finally said once they pulled back into the precinct parking lot, pointing to the vehicle. She unbuckled her seatbelt and Haseul pulled to a stop behind it, unlocking the doors and watching the woman climb out of the car.

"Have a good night." Haseul waved and Sooyoung nodded, fishing her keys out of her pocket.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow then."

And she shut the door, Haseul shifting the gears into drive and starting slowly down the lot when she suddenly heard yelling. Seeing Sooyoung jogging up to her car from the side mirror, she immediately stopped, rolling down her window.

“What’s up?” 

"Park your car. I’m taking you out for a drink."

Besides the young man who eagerly rushed to greet them, the place was quiet, barring the oldies station which played softly on the speakers, and empty, understandably so as it was nearing 3am.  And despite the array of seating options, Sooyoung led her to a table in the back, the kid ambling after them as he fumbled with the notepad in his back pocket. After taking their orders, he paused, his eyes darted between the two before landing on Haseul and chuckling sheepishly.

"Uh, I just wanted to let you know we're closing in about an hour." 

"That's fine." She nodded warmly and with a thumbs up and a relieved smile, he disappeared behind the counter.

"You're just easier to approach, huh?" Sooyoung commented, crossing her arms and leaning back in her seat. 

"I've been told I'm a likeable person." Haseul smiled, prompting the woman across from her to roll her eyes. 

"A little arrogant too it looks like."

"I'd prefer to call it confidence."

“You can call it whatever you want.”

Haseul hummed, unsure of what else to say and she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, watching the other woman watch her. Her face was unreadable, her emotions a challenge to recognize. 

_ Why did she bring me here? _

A clatter on the table beside them signaled the arrival of their drinks, two bottles of soju and two glasses, and with 'thank you's and the kid's disappearance, the drinks were opened, poured, and downed. Haseul growing a bit uncomfortable with the seemingly lack of purpose for this invitation. She couldn’t help but to worry if the other woman had found more than she’d let on in her car.

Sooyoung seemed to pick up on this.

"You don't trust me, do you?"

Caught off guard, Haseul found herself at a momentary loss.

"I mean... I've barely just met you." 

Laughing at her answer, Sooyoung picked up the bottle, emptying it into Haseul's glass before pushing it back towards her.

"Hey, it's okay. I don't trust you either."

Nothing made her quite as uneasy as uncertainty and the pointless banter that followed did nothing to assuage her stress. When Sooyoung excused herself to go to the restroom, Haseul slipped an empty bottle from the table, concealing it inside her jacket when she returned.

She needed to regain control, her halfhearted answers to questions about work and hobbies growing tired and short.

"Why are we here?" 

"I just wanted to get to know you a little better." Sooyoung answered easily and Haseul began to grow annoyed, taking her nonchalance for avoidance. She attempted to pour another glass for Haseul only to be stopped by a sudden hand around her wrist. Surprised by the sudden contact, she froze for a split second and panicked, Haseul quickly redrew her own hand as if she'd nearly touched a flame. 

"Sorry, I-"

"That's fine." 

And then they were back to the fidgeting and awkward glances, the silence somehow even more unbearable than the small talk. 

Haseul found escape in the clock above the other woman's head, the arrows ticking closer and closer to closing. 

"You know what's funny?" 

Her attention was brought back down to the woman before her, the new smile on her face a little unsettling.

“What?”

“I’ve known you for a few days now and your colleagues have known you for years. But no matter who I ask, they know close to nothing about you.” She ran her index finger over the rim of her glass before taking it into her hand and eyeing Haseul carefully. 

“You asked people about me?”

“I just wanted to know who I’m working with but clearly, I’ve learned nothing. Why is that?”

And there it was, the reason why they’d come. Completely aware she was being baited, Haseul still bit, having long wanted to kill the night.

“Maybe you’re just not asking the right questions.”

Now, she just had to avoid getting caught.

“You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

Haseul only laughed hollowly, wrapping her fingers slowly around the neck of the bottle she now held on her lap. 

“I’d like to think I’m quite transparent.” 

She studied the other woman carefully, watched the way she crossed her arms onto the table, her fingers padding impatiently against the wood. Her face remained unchanging.

“You didn’t answer my question.” 

“It wasn’t so much of a question as it was an accusation.”   
Sooyoung didn’t miss a beat. 

“You’re still not answering me.”

The muffled clunking outside the window signaled that the kid was lugging bags of trash to the dumpster across the street and just out of instinct Haseul's eyes flickered to the counter to see it had been completely abandoned.

They were alone. 

Her grip tightened around the bottle, the rush in her head growing a little warmer, a little louder. But the sappy pop music just continued steadily on the speakers, a mockery to the growing intensity of their conversation.

“I have nothing to hide.”

Sooyoung only quirked her lip into the slightest of smirks, the pregnant tension in the air growing suffocating as she leaned closer, eyes boring into Haseul’s.

“You know, you’re not quite as good at lying as you might think.”

**Author's Note:**

> hi, just was thinking a lot of detective haseul n murderer haseul n thought that would b smth cool to explore! also i didn't revise this or anything so i'm so sorry for that but i hope it turned out decent n that u enjoyed
> 
> happy haseulween!
> 
> [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/vgaeus)  
[twitter](https://twitter.com/vgaeus)


End file.
